Down Insulated

Planning to be out and about in cold weather? You will be able to brave the lowest temperatures while being warm and comfortable in one of these down insulated jackets or vests from Anaconda! Choose from vests, jackets and hooded jackets for men, women, boys and girls in a range of styles. Our down range includes handmade insulation, as well as natural products such as 00% goose down insulation. At Anaconda, you will be able to find down insulated jackets that are perfect for everyday use, as well as specifically designed jackets for active pursuits such as skiing, snowboarding or climbing

Can I purchase down-insulated products at Anaconda?

Yes, you can. If you are planning to be out and about in cold weather, make sure you stay warm and comfortable in one of these down insulated jackets or vests from Anaconda. You can choose from vests, jackets and hooded jackets for men, women, boys and girls in a range of styles. Our down range includes items with synthetic insulation, as well as those that feature natural products such as 100% goose down. At Anaconda, you will be able to find down insulated jackets that are perfect for everyday use, as well as specifically designed jackets for active pursuits such as skiing, snowboarding or climbing.

Why should I buy down-insulated clothing?

Insulating layers are important in many climbing and hillwalking situations, to separate ourselves from the often very harsh environment. Through over a hundred years of mountaineering, the same principles of keeping warm have been deployed: windproofing, staying dry, and trapping still air. Although insulated clothing has changed immensely in recent times, the principles remain the same.

About down insulation:

Down is the name given to the under-feathers of waterfowl. Geese, ducks, swans and many other birds possess down. In most cases down is harvested as a by-product of the meat industry, which is one reason why goose and duck down are more often found than down from other birds. Down is an amazing material: it has been estimated that there are 70,000 filaments in a typical gram of down, making it occupy a huge volume. Down's insulating performance is incredible: good quality down is thought to be warmer than any fibrous synthetic insulation weight-for-weight, as well as more compressible, with better compression recovery and a longer life-span.

How to look after down-filled items:

Down-filled clothing will last a long time if it is cared for properly: Here are some tips:

Avoid getting down wet. If it does get wet, try to manually break up any lumps that form and dry the down as soon as you can.

Don't pull protruding feathers from your down gear: any holes in the outer fabric will get bigger and make it more likely that more down will escape.

Store your down gear uncompressed. Laboratory tests have shown that compression of down over a long period detrimentally affects its performance.

Down is not impossible to wash, just be careful. Always check the label and if you are not sure, consult a professional cleaner.

When your down gear seems to have lost its loft, try tumble drying it (if the garment label allows). Adding a soft object such as a tennis ball can aid loft recovery.

What about synthetic insulation?

Down is warm but doesn't do too well in wet or humid conditions. This is where synthetic insulation comes into its own. Synthetic insulation is designed to replicate the qualities of down, but retain them even when wet. It's made with polyester fibres that are arranged in different sized filaments and intertwined, mimicking down's lofty clusters. These ultrafine fibres trap warmth in air pockets, providing great warmth� though not quite as good as down. In addition, synthetic insulation has a slightly higher weight-to-warmth ratio than down, meaning it needs to be heavier to achieve the same warmth as down. The upside to synthetic insulation is that it is much more resistant to moisture, and when it does get wet it dries faster. Synthetic insulation also tends to be friendly on the wallet and is naturally hypoallergenic.